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Mac Forum / Applications / Eudora / May 2006Highlighting quoted messages in replies
Some of my e-mail correspondents have been complaining about my e-mails having the original message interspersed with my reply. They can't work out what is mine and what is not. (Yes, Windows users; used to top-posting) When I explained to one of them what it was all about, she could then understand. Unfortunately, the Windows clients they are using only show quoted messages with > as the beginning of the line. The default font is such that the > does not really stand out. (I despair of the people who see things in e-mail and if they don't understand it, just blot it out forever and carry on.) Anyway, I was wondering whether there is anything I can do to make the quoted parts stand out more for these poor creatures, eg, by changing the colour. Cheers David In article <davidmor-B11733.12242124052006@eth00.pnews.internode.on.net>, > Some of my e-mail correspondents have been complaining about my e-mails > having the original message interspersed with my reply. They can't work [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > understand. Unfortunately, the Windows clients they are using only show > quoted messages with > as the beginning of the line. Why "only"? Although I see the advantages of format=flowed, I don't use it. I still use "> " as the quote indicator, as people have for ages. I don't see a problem with it. (Also, Eudora by default displays quoted text in a slightly different colour.) > The default font is > such that the > does not really stand out. [...] > Anyway, I was wondering whether there is anything I can do to make the > quoted parts stand out more for these poor creatures, eg, by changing > the colour. On *their* systems, yes. On yours, the best you can do is send as format=flowed (which is the default in Eudora IIRC). (Well, you can make use of misguided attempts such as embedding 'HTML', but they're not reliable communication tools.) The essence of communication systems like the Web, email, newsgroups, chat, etc. is that the recipient has control over presentation. If they don't like the presentation, they should change it to their liking. If their tool doesn't allow that, they should upgrade to something that does. While it may be a little painful at first, confronting people with reality and helping them deal with it is the best you can do for them. Colorising mails to help them ignore their problems only keeps them ignorant and dependant.  SignatureSander Tekelenburg, <http://www.euronet.nl/~tekelenb/> Mac user: "Macs only have 40 viruses, tops!" PC user: "SEE! Not even the virus writers support Macs!" > While it may be a little painful at first, confronting people with > reality and helping them deal with it is the best you can do for them. > Colorising mails to help them ignore their problems only keeps them > ignorant and dependant. While I agree with Sander, you do have the option of coloring the new text that you send. Use the drop-down "color" menu on the tool bar in the outgoing message to select the color you want to use. Be aware that this results in a message with "styles" (HTML) and they may choose to set their client to ignore styles. SignatureKathy > While I agree with Sander, you do have the option of coloring the new > text that you send. Use the drop-down "color" menu on the tool bar in > the outgoing message to select the color you want to use. That's what I was going to do. Just thought there might be some automatic way. > Be aware that > this results in a message with "styles" (HTML) and they may choose to > set their client to ignore styles. Uhh, no! Standard Outlook Express with default settings. I'm not even sure it is possible to turn off HTML. Thanks David > > While I agree with Sander, you do have the option of coloring the new > > text that you send. Use the drop-down "color" menu on the tool bar in > > the outgoing message to select the color you want to use. > > That's what I was going to do. Just thought there might be some > automatic way. Can't you set up a stationery format with coloured text, and in Settings->Composing Mail, 'Take settings & text from stationery'. I've never set up a stationery file, so I don't know if that would work, but it looks as though it should. SignaturePeter > > > While I agree with Sander, you do have the option of coloring the new > > > text that you send. Use the drop-down "color" menu on the tool bar in [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Can't you set up a stationery format with coloured text, and in > Settings->Composing Mail, 'Take settings & text from stationery'. Before I ask any question about Eudora, I really should have a slow hard look through the preferences. In Fonts and Display, you can set the colour of text, quotes and background. I wonder whether it is only for Eudora's display, or whether it gets sent in messages I send. How to test this, since I am looking at it in Eudora.... Cheers David > efore I ask any question about Eudora, I really should have a slow hard > look through the preferences. In Fonts and Display, you can set the > colour of text, quotes and background. I wonder whether it is only for > Eudora's display, or whether it gets sent in messages I send. That's only for Eudora's display and won't affect your outbound messages. :-( SignatureKathy > > efore I ask any question about Eudora, I really should have a slow hard > > look through the preferences. In Fonts and Display, you can set the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > That's only for Eudora's display and won't affect your outbound > messages. :-( I think to set attributes for outbound messages, you have to use stationery. SignaturePeter > While it may be a little painful at first, confronting people with > reality and helping them deal with it is the best you can do for them. > Colorising mails to help them ignore their problems only keeps them > ignorant and dependant. This is a great idea. in theory. In practice it works only for people who are interested in learning how to use their computer and communicate better. The great majority are not. It's hard work (for them) to try to make sense of what we have been using for decades. The e-mail clients they use cater for this sort and make everything simple to the point of being useless. "If Microsoft had meant us to do it that way, they would have made an e-mail client that did that." As for me convincing them of the error of their ways, this is really two tasks. One is to show them there is an alternative way. The other is to get them to use it. I'd rather do something in my Eudora in 30 seconds than spending hours in fruitless and unwanted evangelism to help them do things better. David |
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